From the Heart
by hullosweetpea
Summary: All Hallows Eve. Día de los Angelitos. Día de los Muertos. Sam and Dean stumbled upon a case on their way to Tequila, Mexico as members of the small town of Muerte prepare to welcome the spirits of loved ones back to their homes. The boys will have their work cut out for them figuring out the peculiar ghosts who have an attachment to them as well as the girl it's centered around.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I've been thinking about doing a Día de los Muertos Supernatural story for a while and I finally got a cemented idea for it. It will be a three-shot, so I'm hoping the chapters will be longer than my standard. The main reason I wanted to do a Día de los Muertos story is because not only is it the day Mary died (November 2** **nd** **, or as we all know it six months after Sam was born), but if I can make assumptions it is the same day Jess died. (The first episode starts on Halloween, I assume from all the costumes and décor, and Dean promised to return Sam by Monday, which makes Saturday November 1** **st** **and that Sunday the 2** **nd** **), plus this show loves parallels. So between that and the Día de los Muertos lore it seemed like a natural fit. Hope you all enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: Kripke's**

Desde el Corazón

Part One: All Hallows' Eve

"Camila, I thought you were going to stay in and hand out candy to trick-or-treaters."

The dark haired, sixteen year old turned to face her father, hands clasped up by her ear trying to put in an earring. "I thought I told you last week I was going to a party with my friends.

"No. Camila, what's going on? You've been so distant lately," her father pushed on.

"I'm a teenager. Aren't I suppose to be distant?"

" _Camila_ ," her father said exasperated.

"She's fine Steve. Camilita told me," said an older woman as she came up behind Steve in the doorway.

Camila flashed a smile in her direction. "Thank you _abuelita_."

"You can go, but I want you back by midnight," said Steve.

She sighed, but gave her father a quick hug. "I promise I will."

He gave her a small smile and a quick peck on the forehead. "Be careful."

"I will."

He left the room, but Camila's _abuela_ still stood in the doorway. She entered Camila's room and sat down on her bed. "Camilita, is there anything you want to tell me? You can trust me."

Camila looked at her reflection in her vanity mirror and sighed. She picked up the lighter foundation and a makeup sponge, beginning the process to give herself a ghostly appearance. "Tell me a story."

Her _abuela_ shook her head slightly, knowing she was deflecting something. "Anything in particular _nieta_?"

Camila put down the makeup sponge and picked up her eyeliner. "Something to distract me."

"Do you know how Halloween came to be?"

"No," she said a bit intrigued as she leaned closer to the mirror and held the eyeliner pen to her eyelid.

"Well," began her _abuela_ , "long ago the Welsh and the Celtic thought that at the end of fall, before the winter darkness descended on them, the spirits had the chance to come back to the land of the living to visit their descendants or to seek vengeance on those who wronged them. People would leave out food to appease them and set places for them at tables. As the tradition expanded it changed as different cultures touched it. It evolved to a tradition were the poor would disguise themselves in costumes and perform tricks or promise to pray for a departed soul in exchange for food. Carved turnips were used to light their way in the night. When the tradition carried over to North America it became carved pumpkins. Much of the folklore suggests that it is the night were supernatural creatures are most active."

Camila switched to mascara and unscrewed the tube. "But why is it called Halloween?"

"It used to be called All Hallows' Eve as it was the day before All Hallows' Day."

"Oh," she put the mascara down and reached for blood red lipstick. She opened the cap and smeared it evenly across her lips. "Do you think Mom would come back?"

Her _abuela_ shook her head sadly, finally understanding what Camila did not want to say. "Camilita, it's just a story."

She sat the makeup down and turned to face her _abuela_. "I know, but if she had the chance, would she?"

"I don't think so, not for that. She's in a better place now. You'll see her again _nieta_."

Camila stood up and held her hands out to her side. "How do I look?"

"What are you supposed to be?"

" _Una Mujer en Blanca_. My friends and I are going as supernatural creatures."

Her _abuela_ shook her head. "I don't think I will ever understand this generation's fascination with these characters from horror stories. Vampires, Werewolves, what is it even now?"

"Zombies."

"See? I can't even keep up."

Camila laughed and kissed her _abulea_ 's forehead. "Have fun passing out mini-Snickers to the kids."

"I do every year don't I?"

"As long as I've been born."

-o-O-o-

"We should probably stop for the night," suggested Sam.

"Come on Sammy, me and Baby can go for a couple more hours," argued Dean.

"Yeah, well this," Sam gestured to the general vicinity of the passenger seat, "is not an ideal place for me to sleep."

"So? Move to the back seat when we stop."

"That really doesn't help"

"It's not my fault you're so friggin' tall."

"Why are we even going to Tequila anyway?"

Dean stared at Sam. "Do I really need to explain it?"

Sam stared right back at Dean. "Yes! All you said this morning was 'we're going on a road trip' and when I asked where you said 'Tequila, Mexico'. Dean, that's not really an answer."

"It's in the name. _Tequila_. Why wouldn't we go there?"

"Because it's a twenty-six hour drive and we have fake passports."

Dean held up his pointer finger. "One, twenty-six hours isn't _that_ long of a trip." He lifted his middle finger. "And two, all our ID's are fake. We flash fake FBI badges to legit police almost every friggin' day. Are you really going to flip over fake passports?"

"Border patrol actually sees real fake ID's every day Dean. They know what to look for."

"Plus, you know Spanish."

"I took one class my freshman year and that qualifies me to be the translator on your impromptu road trip?"

"Yes."

Sam groaned.

"They have tours with free samples. _Free_."

Sam sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm not going to win this one am I?"

"No."

"Since _you_ forced me on this trip the least you could do is find some kind of motel within the next hour instead of cramming me in the back."

Dean rolled his eyes. "Fine. You didn't used to be this picky. What happened?"

"I think it's the years of shitty motel rooms catching up to me. Or maybe it's the fact you dragged me out of my bed in the bunker this morning. Take your pick."

Dean snorted. "Bitch."

Sam couldn't help, but crack a smile. "Jerk." He looked out the window and pointed at a sign as the sped past. "There's a town in five miles. We can stop there and then pick up where we left off tomorrow."

"Fine, but be ready bright and early. We'll still have around a thirteen hour drive ahead of us."

Sam settled back down in the passenger seat. "Sure Dean, just wake me up when we get there."

Dean scoffed, but let his brother sleep. It didn't take long for the Impala to make its way to the small town of Muerte, Texas, the sun already disappeared in the horizon and the waxing moon casting an eerie glow over the town. He pulled into the first motel he saw and parked the Impala. Check in was easy as they were the only ones filling the occupancy at the time. He stepped back outside to get Sam and their duffels out of the Impala; a few trick-or-treaters scampered by with grins, flashlights, and pillow cases full of potential cavities. He opened the passenger door and nudged Sam. "Hey, we're here."

Sam blinked a few times and rubbed his eyes. "That was quick."

"Doesn't take long when we might be this guy's first customers in a month." He tossed him his duffel and walked towards their motel room. He unlocked the room and cringed at the décor. It was tackier than they were used to as it had been a while since they had to stay at motels ever since they settled down at the bunker. He assumed the wallpaper was supposed to resemble rock formations and canyons, the divider between the "sitting area" and the beds were little cacti, and the curtains were printed with bright colors and zig zag patterns. "I forgot how-"

"Tacky?"

Dean threw his duffel down on one of the beds. "I was going to go with God awful, but that works too." He poked one of the little cacti. "But I give it a few points for creativity. You know how many of these had chicks on them? A lot, that's what I remember."

"How can you even remember them? You were on the road longer than me. Shouldn't they all melt together?"

"Maybe they have." He flopped down on the bed which smelt musty, but clean. "Get some shut eye Sammy. We've got some traveling to do tomorrow."

-o-O-o-

"Cam! Come on, it'll be fun!"

She bit into a candy apple and glanced over at her friend dressed as a vampire: pale faced and blood dripping from the corners of her mouth. "But it sucks, _every_ year. There's nothing scary about the haunted house once you turn thirteen, Angela."

Angela wrapped an arm around Camila's shoulders. "I heard they worked in an extra wing this year."

" _Ooo_ ," said a boy dressed as a werewolf: all fake fur and plaid. "Because that is _sure_ to make it extra scary."

Angela punched him in the shoulder. "Don't be a dick Isaac."

Camila bit into her apple again as she watched her friends bicker back and forth. She rolled her eyes; it was only a matter of time before the two realized there was a bit more than friendly arguing behind all of it. Just behind Angela's head she thought she saw something move. She didn't think anything of it until a ghostly hand appeared between her bickering friends, reached out towards Camila. She screamed.

"What's up with you," asked Isaac.

The hand disappeared, but Camila felt a chill run across her body. "Did you see that?"

"What? You must be just hallucinating."

Camila turned to look all around her, but she saw nothing. The chill crept up from her shoulder to her ear. _"Help me."_ She screamed again; she knew that voice.

-o-O-o-

Sam rolled over, restless. The moon's light came in through the thin curtains and his bed was conveniently placed right in front of one. He had been trying to sleep for the past hour, but nothing had happened. He turned again and heard Dean snoring on the next bed over. Of course Dean was asleep. He rubbed his eyes and yawned. A flicker of light caught his attention, but he didn't think anything more of it than the curtain moving in the moonlight. Suddenly the room grew cold and Sam shivered a bit. Then, at the foot of the bed, a little boy appeared.

He was wearing a shirt with a Scooby Doo screen print on it, jeans, little sneakers and when he took a hesitant step closer Sam noticed they lit up. His hair was ruffled and he looked scared. He looked down at the boy's throat and saw multi-colored bruises that were shaped as clear outlines of fingers. "It's okay. I won't hurt you," whispered Sam.

His eyes grew wide.

Sam sat up. "Can you tell me your name?"

He parted his lips and two words came out. " _Help me."_

He disappeared and Sam threw the covers off of himself. He padded over to Dean's bed and roughly nudged his shoulder. Dean grunted and turned over to face Sam. "What is it? Shouldn't you be sleeping?"

"There was a ghost. Here."

" _Really_ ," asked Dean.

"Yes, looks like we won't be leaving here anytime soon."

Dean groaned and let his head fall back on the pillow. "Son of a bitch."

 **A/N: For the curious reader Muerte, TX is not real, but Tequila is. My Spanish teacher visited it when she was in Mexico.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: We have talked about Día de los Muertos in my Spanish classes, but not a whole lot, so the Internet was my only resource for most of the customs/traditions for Día de los Muertos. Results may vary.**

Part Two: Día de los Angelitos

Dean left the small diner in a rush, trying to avoid the crowds. When he told Sam he was stepping out on quick a breakfast run he didn't think it would be this crowded. The streets were bustling with people with faces painted as skulls, some carrying candles and white flowers. He climbed into the Impala and put the bag in the passenger seat next to him. He started Baby and turned to look behind him to see if he could pull out. He saw a boy sitting in the backseat and instantly slammed his foot on the brake and threw it in park. He twisted his entire body to get a better look at the punk who had managed to sneak his way in _Dean_ 's car.

He appeared to be about thirteen; he looked like he was trying to carry himself as someone older, but he was clearly still just a child. He wore a Star War print shirt, ripped up jeans, and a frown. "Hey kid, I don't know how the _hell_ you-." Dean stopped his rant as he saw the boy's neck and a chill snaked around him. The boy's neck was bruised around the collar of his high necked shirt and his dark shirt had kept dark blood stains from being noticed on a first glance.

The boy's stare jolted through Dean as he spoke only two words: " _Help me."_

He disappeared faster than Dean could process, leaving the hunter alone in his beloved car.

-o-O-o-

Sam ran his hands down his face as his laptop stared back at him. "I'm back. It's crazy out there. I think it's some kind of Halloween festival. I suggest you don't go running. Did you find anything," asked Dean as he shut the door to the motel room.

He leaned back in his chair and turned the laptop to Dean as his older brother sat down. "Yeah, a mother, María Rickman, died over two years ago." He pulled up a picture and María looked like a much happier and healthier version of the ghost he had seen yesterday. "She was strangled to death in her own home. Her husband found her when he got off of work."

"Brutal. But what does have to do with Casper?"

"It gets worse," added Sam. "She was found in the kitchen along with her two sons, Salvador and Bernardino, who were also killed in the same way."

Dean raised his eyebrows. " _Two_."

"Yeah." Sam pulled up another photo, this time showing two boys. "Salvador was the youngest; he was only eight. Bernardino was older; he was twelve."

"So do you think it was Salvador that you saw?"

Sam nodded. "I'm almost positive that's who it was."

He watched as Dean leaned in closer to the screen. "That's him."

"What?"

Dean pointed to the screen. "I saw him today. In the back of the freakin' Impala. Do you think it was a Woman in White?"

He shook his head. "No, when they examined the bodies they concluded it was the work of man, not a woman, so it couldn't have been María who killed her children. And someone physically strangled her. It wasn't like she hanged herself. 9-1-1 operators had a call come through from their house, but no one ever said anything and then they just hung up."

"Shouldn't they have sent someone to come and check? Ya know, to be better safe than sorry?"

"The call lasted less than ten seconds. The operator thought it was a kid's prank."

Dean rubbed a hand through his hair. "Please tell me they at least caught the bastard who did it."

Sam pulled the laptop back over to face him and scrolled down on the screen. "Yeah, he was convicted last month on three counts of first-degree murder."

Dean pulled breakfast out of a greasy bag. "Serves the son of a bitch right. Where is she buried?"

Sam closed the laptop lid and snatched the granola Dean pulled out of the bag. "The cemetery in town. Should be an easy salt and burn."

"What bothers me," said Dean around his full mouth, "is why he asked you for help? And then why did Bernardino ask me the same thing."

"Either way once the corpse is gone she should be too. Maybe it will stop them too; maybe that's why they need help."

Dean looked outside. "It's a damn shame we didn't get this sorted out earlier, or we could have done it last night and been on our way this morning."

"I couldn't really change the fact he woke me up at four and not midnight. Sorry he didn't comply with your schedule."

Dean held up his hands defensively. "I'm just saying. It's going to be a pretty boring day waiting until night falls. But when we're done it's back on the road. We have to make up for lost time."

Sam groaned. "I thought you forgot about it."

"Aw, c'mon Sam. It's not going to be bad. It'll be fun. Just don't be a bitch about it."

"I am not."

Dean snorted. "Sure."

Sam directed a bitch face in Dean's direction, but his older brother just laughed. He sighed, at least Dean wasn't too mad that their plans had been derailed.

-o-O-o-

The Impala rolled up to the cemetery and Dean cut the headlights off. "What the hell is going on," muttered Dean.

People were gathered in the cemetery, candles casting jumping shadows and their soft glow across their faces. A few groups were gathered, but a majority of the people were spread out around the cemetery. They could hear some kind of music being played and a few of the kids on the side were dancing. Candles and flowers covered graves.

"I have no idea," replied Sam. Dean opened the door to the Impala and got out. Sam leaned across the bench seat and grabbed his arm. "What are you doing?"

Dean pulled his arm out of Sam's loose grip. "What does it look like? I'm going to go see what they're doing. Maybe it has do with Salvador and Bernardino's sudden appearance." He shut the door to the Impala and walked towards the cemetery.

Sam rolled his eyes and opened the passenger side of the Impala. "Dammit, Dean! Get back here." He followed his brother through the crowds. Sam glanced at the names on the gravestones as they passed, none of them having the names Salvador or Bernardino Rickman. When he looked up he had lost Dean in the crowd. He desperately tried looking for his brother, but the crowds were thick and his brother was shorter than him. He turned a corner to go to a different part of the cemetery, but he accidently knocked down a girl, making her drop the flowers she was carrying. He held out his hand and she took hold as he lifted her off the ground. "Sorry about that. It's a bit hard to look through the crowds."

The girl quickly bent to down to pick up the flowers that fell, dusted off her pants, and flipped her hair out of her face. "It's okay. Camila, by the way."

"Sam."

She looked up at him and squinted. "Are you new? I've never met you."

"Uh, yeah. My brother and I are just passing through." He turned around to look at all the other people gathered. "What _is_ going on? Cemeteries don't seem like they would be the most popular hangout."

"Normally no, but it's _Día de los Muertos_."

" _Día de los Muertos_ ," repeated Sam, a bit unsure.

Camila nodded. "It's a holiday, with a lot of tradition, honoring the dead. Today's the first night: _Día de los Angelitos_. It's the day reserved to honor the young who have died." She used the flowers to point to some head stones. "White orchids go on their graves." She looked out at the crowds' cheery disposition. "A lot of time outsiders to the tradition don't understand why it's such a joyful holiday." She wrapped her arms around herself. "We aren't mourning their deaths; we're celebrating the lives they had." She sighed heavily. "It can be harder today though; sometimes it's more difficult to remind myself this _should_ bea celebration."

Sam's expression softened. "It sounds like you've lost someone close."

Camila looked down at her flowers. "My brothers, Sal and Dino."

"How old were they?"

"Only eight and twelve. Dino was going to turn thirteen in only three days when he died." Camila's fingers were playing with the petals on the orchid and smiled. "For months before he turned thirteen he was trying to get us to treat him like an adult, but none of us could. We always knew he would be Dino to us, even when he got older we probably still would have called him that. I think he knew that too, but he still tried to get us to call him Bernardino." She laughed a little melancholically. "He would get red faced and refuse to acknowledge us, except for Mom. He always was close to her"

Sam felt bad for this girl, losing both her brothers. _Both her brothers._ "If you don't mind me asking, what happened?"

Camila frowned. "You must not be near this area, it was all of the news. My mom and brothers were all strangled by a man. He was breaking in during the day and they were at home. Dino tried to protect them, but the man just grabbed him by the neck and….and… Anyway, my mom had tried to stop Dino, but he had thrown himself on top of the man to distract him. Afterwards he went after Sal and then my mom." She paused and took a shaky breath. "The only reason we even knew it all was because _he_ confessed it during court."

Sam held out his large arms and wrapped them around Camila. "You didn't have to tell me any of that."

Camila pulled away and wiped a few tears out of her eyes. "No, this is the first time my family even convinced me to come out and celebrate. I've never wanted to before." She looked down at the flowers. "Thanks for listening."

"You're welcome." She started to walk away, but he grabbed her by the shoulder. "Hey, would it be alright if I come with you." Camila tilted her head slightly to the side. "I just want to pay my respects."

She blinked. "I guess. Just follow me."

Sam followed Camila through the crowd when he felt his phone vibrate. He pulled it out and held it to his ear. _"Where are you?"_

"Nice to talk to you too, Dean."

" _I'm trying to find you and for some reason it's not easy to find your six foot tall ass in this crowd."_

Sam slowed down to put a bit of space between him and Camila. "Listen I think I found a lead to the case. I ran into this girl when I turned a corner and you'll never guess. _She's the daughter of María_."

" _Are you sure."_

"Yeah, apparently this is some holiday that honors the dead and today is the day celebrating the lives of children. She was going to visit her brothers: Sal and Dino. _Salvador and Bernardino_."

" _It could be a coincidence."_

"Nope, she told me the whole story when I asked with even more detail than in the article. Maybe she can help us."

" _Maybe. Tell me where you're at and I'll get over there."_

Sam looked around. Camila had stopped in front of three head stones and was sitting crossed legged in front of them. "We're underneath the only tree in this cemetery."

" _Got it. On my way."_

The line went dead and Sam sat down next to Camila. She had placed the flowers on both of their graves and was trying to place tiny tea candles on small altars. "Who was that?"

Sam stretched out his legs. "Just my brother. I lost him in the crowd."

She nodded. "Oh."

Dean came walking their way and Sam waved him over. "Camila, this is my brother Dean."

She smiled at him. "Hello."

Dean sat down next to Sam. "Sorry to hear about your brothers."

"Thanks," she mumbled. Her gazed stayed affixed to the head stones and the brothers exchanged looks.

"So," started off Sam. "Have you ever…been approached by their spirits?"

She paled. "No," she said all too quickly.

Sam looked over at Dean.

Dean cleared his throat. "Are you sure? We won't think you're crazy or anything."

Camila stared at the center of one of the candles. "Last night, I thought I heard my mom."

Both the brothers looked confused. "Your _mother,_ " asked Sam.

She glared him. "You promised you wouldn't think I was crazy."

"No, no, no," stuttered Sam. "I didn't mean it that way it's just…"

"We've heard that people have been seeing two boys that match your brothers' descriptions," Dean explained, rushed.

Camila furrowed her eyebrows. "From who? Who are you guys?"

"It's okay, you can trust us. We just need to know what your mom said," asked Sam.

"She said 'Help me'."

"That's it?"

She nodded. "Yes."

Sam pulled out a card and handed it to her. "Call this if anything else comes up."

She stuffed it in her jacket pocket. "Sure. It was nice meeting you."

The brothers stood up and made their way through the crowd and back to Baby. Dean ran a hand through his hair. " _Three_ ghosts"

Sam sighed. "I know. Looks like we'll be here another night at least."

Dean stepped into the Impala. "And if everything works out maybe it'll be our last."

"Maybe."

Dean pulled out and headed back for their motel room.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Here's the last part! Hope you enjoy!**

Part Three: Día de los Muertos

"So it turns out the holiday is a combination of Aztec rituals and Catholic traditions. All Saints Day and All Souls Day from Catholicism and the honoring of Mictecacihuatl-"

"What," asked Dean.

"Mictecacihuatl, she's the Aztec goddess of the dead," explained Sam.

"Does she have an easier name to pronounce?"

"She's also known as the Lady of the Dead."

Dean yawned and massaged his forehead with the pads of his fingers. "Good, let's go with that."

"Anyway, now they celebrate her as the goddess who blesses the celebration."

"Great, but what does this have to do with María, Sal and Dino? They're still here and by some miracle not vengeful yet. Why now? Why after these years?"

"A part of the belief in Día de los Muertos states that the dead will come back to the land of the living to accept the offerings. They believed the dead walked among us during the festival."

"Do you think it actually happened this time and they just sprung up because of the festival? Do you think others might too?"

Sam shut his laptop lid and sighed. "I would if it wasn't for the fact they all asked for our help. And at different times. Not to mention they've been dead for a while and according to Camila none of them have approached her before. Something else is going on here."

"No reports yet of other spirits either?"

"None."

Dean ran his hand down his face and held his beer tight. "I get the feeling this is something far beyond a salt and burn.

Sam leaned back away from the table and crossed his arms over his chest. "Maybe we should summon the Lady of the Dead. Since she _is_ the goddess of this festival she might have some control over them. She could possibly help us. And if she can't maybe it _is_ just a quick salt and burn."

"I guess we're summoning a goddess then. What do we need?"

-o-O-o-

The crowds in the small town were larger today, more people with marigolds, women and girls decorated as skeletons, kids eating sugar skulls. "There are a lot of people out today," observed Sam.

Dean shuffled through the crowd. "There were less yesterday. There's actually more today."

"How can this small town have so many people?"

"Tourists? Out of state relatives? I don't know, but it isn't my problem. Our problem is figuring out what María, Sal, and Dino need help with."

Sam's phone began to ring and he picked it up. "Hello?"

" _Is this Sam?_ "

He stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and Dean looked at him. "Camila?" Dean's eyebrows rose.

" _Yeah. You said to call if I saw anything else_."

"Yeah, yeah. Have you seen anything Camila? What did you see?"

" _My mom. She came back._ "

"Did she say anything? Was any of it new?"

There was a pause. _"No, just the same thing 'Help me'._

"Okay where were you when you saw her?"

" _I was on my way to get marigolds and she just showed up on the sidewalk. Nobody else saw her. Nobody else believed me. God I bet everyone things I'm crazy."_

"You're not crazy Camila, not by a long shot. Where are you now? We can come over and-"

"Sam," said Dean as he tugged roughly on his brother's jacket.

" _What is it Dean_ ," he asked in a low whisper.

Dean shoved Sam to the side so he was out of the way of other pedestrians as they walked on the sidewalk. "Look across the street."

Sam looked and saw Sal and Dino. Both little boys were trying to reach out to each other, but it was like an invisible barrier kept them apart. The looked up and their faces lit up in recognition. In an instant they were gone and then right next to the Winchesters. Sal looked up at Sam with tears in his eyes as if he was trying to hold them back and he tried to touch Sam, but his hand just went right through the taller man's hand. " _Help me._ "

Dino looked frightened, but he wasn't on the verge of tears. He kept looking towards Sal and Dean could see the guilt in the ghost's eyes. He looked up at Dean with a pleading face. " _Help us_." Dino tried to reach out for Sal again, but the moment they almost touched each other they both disappeared.

"Shit. What is going on in this town," asked Dean.

" _Sam, what should I do?_ "

Sam paced on the side walk and ran a hand through his hair. "Is it possible for us to come over to your house?"

" _Umm…"_

"There's something we need to do to help them and it is best for it to happen in the place they died."

" _We've moved._ "

"What?"

" _We moved after it happened. Nobody wanted to live there anymore. It was put up for sale, but no one wanted to buy it. It's a small town and everyone knew them. It's in an abandoned little outlet. We didn't have any neighbors then and nobody's moved into those houses since."_

"That actually might work in our favor. Can you still get us in?"

" _No, they changed the locks on it when it was put up for sale._ "

"Well can you still tell me the address? Maybe we can do it outside."

" _Uh sure. 542 Los Flores Avenue. It's the blue house_."

"Okay Camila, we'll see you there." Sam hung up and looked at Dean. "She saw her mom again. It looks like they're getting more active."

Dean pulled the Impala keys out of his pocket and headed towards where they had parked Baby. "Well then, let's save some ghosts."

-o-O-o-

The pulled up into the deserted outlet, the rumble of the Impala's engine echoing in the silence. Dean parked it next to the blue house where an aged, white Prius was parked in the driveway; Camila sat on the porch. The boy got out and Sam went to the trunk and pulled out the altar and other items needed for the summoning. "Have you seen anything since you called," he asked her.

She shook her head. "No, what's all of that stuff for."

"It's to summon the Lady of the Dead. We're seeing if maybe she can help," explained Dean. He walked up the steps of the porch and pulled out his tools to open the front door.

Camila stood up and followed him. "Are you breaking and entering?"

"More like putting spirits to rest. Sometimes you just have to go about it in unorthodox ways."

"That didn't answer my question."

Dean pushed the door and it creaked open. "I didn't see anything break, did you?" He stepped inside the house, the smell of mold and dirt settling over him. The interior was covered in a layer of dust; the furniture eerily sat, looking abandoned. Camila and Sam followed him inside and the closing door echoed. He looked towards Sam. "Where do you want to do this?"

"The place where it…occurred would be the best."

Camila hugged herself. "That would be the kitchen." She pushed her way through the Winchesters and disappeared down a hallway. The boys followed and it opened up into a fairly large kitchen, an island was situated in the middle.

Sam sat the altar down on the island and got to work. "Dean, can you draw this around it?" He handed his older brother a crumpled piece of paper from his jacket and a piece of chalk. 

He glanced at it. "Yeah."

Sam made sure the altar was steady before placing three tea candles on it. Camila watched as the boys prepared to summon the goddess. Dean finished with a sharp squeak of the chalk and nodded to Sam. He opened a weathered book and began to chant. As he continued his mantra he pulled out his lighter and lit each candle, the fire burning high and bright. The drawing burned at the edges and turned black, spreading to the center. With a large, towering flame the summoning was complete; there standing in the kitchen was now a woman.

She had dark hair, a long, flowing white dress, her face was made up with vibrant colors with intricate patterns and startling white against black to mirror a skull, but her eyes were just dark, empty holes in her skull. She cocked her head to the side and stared at the Winchesters and Camila. "Who are you? Why summon me?"

Sam cleared his throat and looked at the goddess. "We wanted to know if you knew anything about a few restless spirits."

She smiled. "They're all around you of course. After all it is their _fiesta_."

"But we've only seen three."

She raised her eyebrows. "You've _seen_ them. ¿ _Dios_ , _algo no es bueno…pero qué es?"_

Dean glanced quickly at Sam. "You mean we _aren't_ supposed to be able to see them?"

The goddess nodded her delicate head. " _Sí_ , the spirits' presence is always around for the _fiesta,_ but no one can see. If they would be able to see it would create chaos."

Camila stepped forward. " _Señora_ , do you know of María, Dino and Sal Rickman."

She stepped forward and placed her hands on Camila's shoulders. The teen slightly flinched, but soon relaxed under the goddess's surprisingly warm touch, despite her unnerving look. "¿ _Hija, tu familia es importante a tú?_ " She pointed towards the Winchesters. _¿Ellos son tu familia, sí?_

Camila swallowed and gave a shook her head. " _No, no son ellos_ "

The goddess gripped her shoulders tighter. "¿ _Pero María, Dino y Sal_ son _las fantasmas que tú viste?"_

" _Sí_."

She trailed her hand up to Camila's face and gently lifted her chin with the tips of her fingers so that she was looking into her depthless eyes. " _Hija, yo creo saber tu problema._ " She stepped away from Camila and looked at the Winchesters. "You have seen these ghosts also?"

"Yeah, we each saw one of the boys. I originally saw Sal and Dean saw Dino."

"And did they say anything?"

Sam was a bit taken a back. "Yeah, they asked if we could help them. The second time with both saw them and they tried to reach for each other, but they couldn't. It's like something was holding them back."

The goddess nodded. "Did they all come over at the same time?"

Camila hugged herself tight again. "Yes."

Her expression softened. "¿ _Malo_?"

"Yes."

The goddess knelt down on the floor and brought Camila down with her. "Come, seat down with me. We must all participate." Sam and Dean sat their hulking figures down on the floor, caught being wedged in against the island and counter. The goddess took Camila's left hand and Dean's right. Sam picked up Dean's left and Camila's right. "When spirits who love each other are violently ripped away from each other it can be difficult for them to find each other in _mi mundo_. Most of the time they are able to find each other, but it can take years. What I believe has happened is that they have taken their search to this world, because of _you_." She inclined her head to Camila.

"Me?"

" _Sí_ , you were their _mayor hermana_. They looked up to you for guidance. When they could not find each other they turned to you. _Tu mama_ , she is a smart one. She must have realized what happened and came over to find you, hoping they were with you."

"But why did they appear to us," asked Dean.

The goddess smiled. "Because you both are like them. Your souls were familiar to them. They were trying to desperately cling to anything that could provide comfort."

Sam wiggled to keep his long legs from falling asleep. "How to we reunite them?"

She gripped their hands tighter. "We call for them." She closed her eyes and bowed her head skyward. " _María, Dino y Sal, escúchame. Escucha mi voz. Vienen."_

The other three watched as the figures of María, Dino and Sal appeared around them. María blinked as she looked at her surroundings and when she caught sight of her boys rushed over to them and swept them up in a hug. " _Mi hijos. Mi hijos._ "

Sal beamed up at his mother. " _I missed you."_

Dino gripped tight to María, tears just barely seen in the corner of his eyes. " _I'm sorry._ "

María looked down at her eldest son and hugged him. " _Don't be sorry, hijo."_ She looked back up and walked over to Camila. " _Mi hija. How I missed you."_

Camila stood up looked her in the eye. "I missed you too, Mom."

She smiled, but there were tears in the corners of her eyes. " _I'm proud of you, never forget that_."

"I won't."

The ghosts of Camila's family stood next to each other once more and slowly faded away. Camila looked at the spot where they once were and started to sob. "I'll miss you."

The goddess stood up and wrapped her up in a hug. " _No lágrimas. Ellos serán buenos._ " She silently nodded and the goddess stepped away from her. She raised her hands above her head and disappeared.

Camila turned towards the Winchesters. "Thank you for helping."

Sam gave her a warm smile. "It's what we do."

-o-O-o-

The boys sat on the hood of the Impala, the stars out above them, a late night chill in the air, but you would never know from the vibrant festivities happening in the city they just left. From where they had parked Baby they could see the flickering lights from the cemetery were the party was still going. Dean tipped his beer back and turned to Sam. "We did good back there."

"Yeah, we did." He fiddled with the damp label on his beer. "Dean?"

"Hm."

"Why did you really want to go to Tequila?"

Dean looked out at the open land and gulped down a third of his beer. Sam didn't say anything and waited for his older brother, waiting for when he was ready. "You know what today is."

"November 2nd."

"I couldn't…I couldn't even bare to be in the same state where it happened." He turned to face Sam again. "Is that stupid? It's been over twenty years for Christ sakes, but it still hurts every year."

"I don't think so. You and Mom were close. And, ya know, it still hurts for me too."

"Jess?"

Sam nodded and took a quick sip from his bottle. "Jess. It was around this time too. I just feel so guilty about it no matter how much time has passed."

Dean held out his beer bottle. "For Jess."

"And Mom," added Sam.

They clinked their beer bottles together, each knocking back some of the amber liquid. "We better hit the road. It's a long trip back to Kansas." The brothers got in back in the Impala and back on to the open road, headed home.


End file.
